Dixie's Mom's Book Blog

Me and Stephanie Plum

2012-01-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here's the thing. Anyone who knows me knows that I love Stephanie Plum. I love her quirky friends and her love of birthday cakes and her inability to keep a car from exploding. I have read every book. Yes, that's 18 books now. I have been pretty tolerant of the lack of any character development for 18 books. I have been able to suspend reality enough to accept that Rex could live happily in his soup can for 18 books even though the average hamster is lucky if he lives 3 years. I have embraced the goofy criminals even when they seem to be recycled versions of the same ones every time. I once discussed how awesome it would be to have my own Stephanie Plum action figures. I am a true Plum fan.
But....I think even I have reached my limit. Why? Because Janet Evanovich still spends chapters upon chapters retelling us who everyone is...that Lula was a ho, that Vinnie is the scumbag owner of the bonds agency, that Ranger is a man of mystery, yada yada. She retells us the Plum family dinner table routine, that the funeral home is a hot hangout, that her mom hides booze in the cabinet. Who does she think is buying her books? We all know this, every last detail of it. It's book 18 in the series, we know who Morelli is! So is it simply filler to get by with less and less storyline?
I was actually hopeful that this book would be different. The Hawaii thing was her chance to stir it up. I was hoping that Joe would dump her, that Ranger would do something out of character, that Rex would escape....anything. But it isn't to be. Please, dear friends, don't let me crack under the pressure and run out to buy 19 on the release day.

My last book of the year

2012-01-01T17:31:00.000-08:00

It is so nice to finish the year with an excellent book. Fortunately I decided to pick up Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock. I was looking forward to reading this book because I wanted to learn about what happened to the two girls in the famous photograph from 1957. I knew a little about Elizabeth Eckford and nothing about Hazel Bryan. What I got was so much more than I expected. Not only does Margolick give gripping accounts of the day that the Little Rock Nine first attempted to enter the high school from the girls' points of view, but he also gives us the story behind others in the background of the picture and the photographer who took it. The book is filled with other photos and their stories as well.
The stories of both Elizabeth and Hazel before that day and their lives after it were told beautifully. I feel like Margolick gave a balanced look at both women who saw things differently as they changed through their lives. This is an amazing book, and I will definitely push it on all of my friends. I hope that it gets the attention it deserves.

Looking over my list, I am certain that my two favorite novels from this year were Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, and The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. Both are books that I would like to read again. For non-fiction I would choose Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson about the Galveston hurricane in 1900. Without a doubt, the worst thing that I picked up this year was Incendiary by Chris Cleave, which was a huge disappointment after liking the author's book Little Bee so much. With Incendiary I simply hated the main character and so the stream of conscience writing style did not work at all. I'd still read Chris Cleave again, but this one definitely was not for me.

Overall it was a great reading year, 90 books in all and I enjoyed most of them.

The Artist of Disappearance by Anita Desai

2011-12-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate to get this collection through an advanced reader program, and I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to review it. This set of novellas focuses on three individuals, each struggling with important choices that will impact their own fate. The first is a civil servant who is just beginning his career and questioning his ability to make a difference. He is given the opportunity to help an elderly servant and curator save a family created museum. His instincts tell him that this could be important, and he is faced with the choice of whether or not to try. The second is an English teacher who reunites with an unexpected person from her past. She is given the chance to translate the work of an author she has always admired and help her become known. This dream come true is threatened as she becomes carried away with the power of her position. The third character is a hermit who creates an artistic garden for his own solitude. When others discover its beauty, he has to find a way to disappear again.

I tend to read anything about the history and culture of India that I can find, and this book stands out to me as something unique. I loved the way that Anita Desai developed her characters. In the second story I felt especially touched by Prema's struggle. I could feel her excitement as she began to feel empowered for the first time in her life, and I could feel her panic as she began to lose control. The third story which focused on Ravi was simply beautiful. The author creates effective pictures of India from the stunning to the grim. I haven't read her before, but I am looking forward to finding more of her books.

Trudy's Promise by Marcia Preston

2011-09-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

This is one of those books that I have had forever. I was drawn to it because I haven't really read any fiction based on the Berlin Wall before. This story focuses on life on both sides and one woman's need to escape to West Berlin while leaving her baby on the other side. Her husband was a defector and she is left with the choice of going to prison for life or attempting an escape. Once she arrives in West Berlin the only thing that matters to her is getting her son and mother-in-law to freedom.
The characters are very well developed, and although you get a few different points of view it isn't jumping all over the place. I loved Trudy and Gisela. They are both amazingly strong women, but also show weaknesses that make them real to the reader. I loved Wolfgang. He is the perfect example of how good hearted people are victims of their circumstances during war. As far as backstories go, I think the author did an excellent job of showing each characters' past without it overwhelming the main plot.

My only problem with the book was the section that took place in America. It was pretty far fetched, and I wish she hadn't gone that direction for a while. Overall it was a very good book. I would definitely push it on my friends, as well as read this author again. It was a strong 4 out of 5 for me, with parts of it being in the solid 5 range.

Reading this summer

2011-08-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

Although I haven't been posting much this summer, I have had the chance to read some really good books. Of course, some have been less than impressive too. My favorites since I last posted in June have been Close Your Eyes by Amanda Eyre Ward, Sister by Rosamund Lupton, and The Transformation of Things by Jillian Cantor.

Close Your Eyes
I was so excited to see Amanda Eyre Ward come out with a new novel since I have loved everything that she has written so far. This one is probably my favorite since Sleep Toward Heaven. Lauren Mahdian's mother was murdered when she was 8 while she and her brother were camping out in their treehouse in the backyard. It seems obvious that her father is the murderer, and Lauren grows up accepting that as the truth. Her brother, however, does not believe this and spends years trying to discover the truth. Then her brother goes missing in Iraq, and Lauren starts digging into the clues he had been following.
There were some distracting mistakes in the editing of the book, but that is my only criticism. I love that this author comes up with fresh storylines and characters in every book instead of falling into formulas like so many do. The mystery kept me turning pages, but the character story grabbed me as well. 5/5

Sister by Rosamund Lupton and The Transformation of Things by Jillian Cantor were both really gripping books with weird endings. Without giving away anything, I will say that Rosamund Lupton's story had an ending which was left to the reader's interpretation (I know some of my friends hate this kind of thing, but it worked for me in this book). Jillian Cantor's story came to a clear and well wrapped up ending, but it was weirdly unexpected. I liked it. I went, "cool ending." I am willing to bet that some people will have a different feeling about it, but I thought it made the entire book more interesting. If you read it, tell me if you agree.

Another book that I read last month was Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond. You may say, "Christine, this does not seem like summer reading fun. What were you thinking?" Well, my niece was given the task of reading this for school so I decided to read along. The book questions why some nations have dominated the world in wealth and power while others have been conquered and displaced. There were definitely some interesting ideas and history in this book. I think it's probably a very good choice for student discussion, I get that. However, I kept picturing these high school students trying to get through it during their summer vacation. Yikes. The author repeats...a lot. I hope my niece doesn't give up reading after this.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

2011-06-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

I expected to like this book from the description, but I've read so many World War II books that I think it takes a lot for one to really stand out. Somehow I have already found two amazing novels this year about the time period, The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer and now Between Shades of Gray.
This story is about Lina, a fifteen-year old artist who is deported with her family by the Soviet secret police from her home in Lithuania to Siberia. Lina secretly documents everything through her art, some of which she hides and some which she tries to get to her father in a prison camp. Lina, her mother, and her brother are grouped with many others who work together to survive being moved from one labor camp to another. I don't want to give away specifics about the characters or the events because you really need to read them for yourself. The characters are beautifully developed and feel very real. There is also a fresh viewpoint on the history that grips the reader. I was amazed by this novel, and I know that it is one that will stick with me. I give it a strong 5/5, and I am pleased that I bought this in hardcover because I intend to add it to my favorites.

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

2011-06-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

Dreams of Joy is the sequel to Lisa See's Shanghai Girls. It is the continuing story of Pearl, May, and their daughter, Joy. Having discovered that she is really May's child and that her family has been lying to her, Joy runs from her home in America to find her birth father in China. She also wants to become part of the national reconstruction of the People's Republic of China (in 1957). Pearl is forced to follow Joy in an attempt to save her.
This book gave an interesting look at China's history under the Communist regime at that time. This also gave the much needed rest of the story that we were lacking at the end of Shanghai Girls. Things pick up where they left off, and we are no longer left hanging. Although most of the backstory is explained, I would recommend that anyone planning to read this first read Shanghai Girls because several characters that appear won't have the same significance to those who aren't familiar with the first book. I also don't think that the relationship between Pearl and May will be easy to understand without their earlier story.
I really liked this book. The history was fascinating as it always is in Lisa See's books. Joy's character frustrated me, but it was interesting to see her change as things went on. I would rate it a 4/5, but don't skip that first book!

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

2011-05-18T05:01:00.000-07:00

This is my first Erik Larson book so I won't compare it to The Devil in the White City, although I do want to go back and read that one now, but I can compare it to other non-fiction that I have read about this time period and I was impressed. This is about the American ambassador to Berlin and his family during the period prior to World War II. Larson starts with a short prologue reminding the readers that "one has to put aside what we all know-now-to be true" to try to understand the experiences of these people living it in 1933. The book not only shows what it must have been like to live in Berlin as these warning signs grew, but it also gives a great deal of history on the conflicts within the Third Reich.
Personally I found the history of Hitler, Goebbels, Goring, and others the most interesting part of reading this book. It shocked me to see just how many times things could have taken a very different path. It is also upsetting to see how the other countries closed their eyes to things because they didn't want to stir the pot. I feel like I understand quite a bit more about how that situation unfolded.
I was interested in the stories of William Dodd and his daughter, Martha, but I honestly wasn't impressed with either of them as individuals. In my opinion (and it probably isn't shared with many) Martha's actions went beyond an innocent young woman caught up in enthusiasm of a new Germany. She witnessed things early on that I believe should have made a bigger impact on her even if she had no way of knowing where things were headed. She didn't seem like a dim bulb, she seemed like a smart but selfish woman. My opinion of her never really changed. William Dodd seemed more like a person who just didn't know how to process everything that was going on around him. He did his best, and I felt for him, although there were things about his character that bothered me a lot.
I gave this book a 5/5 because it was an angle on the history of that time that I didn't know much about. I think that Larson did an excellent job of pulling it all together and telling it to the readers in a can't-put-it-down manner. I definitely want to read more of his books.

The Good Sister by Drusilla Campbell

2011-05-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure if I really wanted to read a story about post-partum depression, mental illness, and the attempted murder of children (sounds like a fun Mother's Day read, eh?), but something in the book description grabbed me. It starts off at the trial of Simone, the younger of two grown sisters, but the main focus of the book is on Roxanne. Good thing since Roxanne was the only person that I could tolerate in this book. A great deal of the story goes back to the time before the crime, and some is spent in Roxanne and Simone's childhood.

I know that the characters in this story are meant to be unlikable. The problem was that there wasn't really anyone to care about. Roxanne and her niece, Merell, should have been those characters but they seemed pretty flat to me. I'm not sure if we were supposed to have sympathy for Roxanne's husband and his struggles dealing with the sisters' relationship...I didn't. I read this book straight through in two days. That's why I gave it 3 stars, it kept me interested enough to finish it. However, I can't imagine wanting to read this author again. That says more to me. I would give it a weak 3/5.

The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai by Ruiyan Xu

2011-04-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

Oh, I wanted to love this book. It's the story of Li Jing who survives an explosion at a hotel in Shanghai, but suffers a head injury that robs him of his ability to speak Chinese. The condition is called Broca's aphasia, and the hospital is forced to hire an American doctor who specializes in bilingual aphasia. The concept grabbed me immediately not only because I love the setting, but because I previously worked as a speech pathologist. My favorite assignment was at a head injury clinic. I looked forward to learning more about this type of aphasia.
Although I think this book had great potential, the only thing that I really loved about it were the descriptions of Shanghai. The two things that I didn't like about it were the characters and the ending. I won't give away the ending, but I will say that I was frustrated with how it just dropped off. The characters were difficult to care about overall, but I could not stand the American neurologist. This patient needed a specialist enough that the hospital was willing to bring one in from America, but she revealed that she had "limited expertise in rehabilitation...and spoke no Chinese at all." Oh yeah, and she was drunk when she applied online. She wanted to get away from her bad divorce so she went to Shanghai. As the story went on she did a lot of partying and decided that it's okay to get involved with your patients. Li Jing and his wife, Meiling, also got on my nerves. They were both so self-involved, and I didn't feel that they were doing much in the interests of their son. As far as learning more about aphasia...I don't feel like I got much. This was a disappointing read. I would give it between a 2-3.

The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama

2011-04-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

I finally pulled this one off the shelf and I am wondering what took me so long. I read The Samurai's Garden a while ago and loved it. Maybe I was worried that it would be a disappointment. Whatever the reason for the delay, it was exactly what I was in the mood for this last week.
The story is about two orphaned boys brothers being raised by their grandparents during WWII. One has the dream of becoming a sumo wrestler and the other wants to become an artist. We follow their lives through the war and into adulthood. I was fascinated by the descriptions of Noh theater mask making. This was a part of the culture that I knew very little about. However, I think the most interesting thing was the story of Japanese civilians who lived through the events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
I admit that I didn't like some of the characters at all, however, I loved Kenji and was rooting for him throughout the book. Yes, this is a tragically sad book, but it also is a story of rebuliding. I would recommend it for readers who want to learn more about Japanese culture. For me it was a 5/5.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

2011-04-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

This was a book that I hadn't planned on reading. I haven't been in the mood for nonfiction and the idea of reading about biology just didn't grab me. However, a friend of mine bought a copy of the book, and her excitement about it got me interested. Once I actually picked it up (and I felt this way just from the prologue), I knew what the hype was about. This is a fascinating story.
It's the story of Henrietta Lacks, a poor black woman who unknowingly contributed cancer cells that became vital to the development of vaccines and scientific research. Her cells, the HeLa cells, are still used today. They were the world's first immortal human cells. There is a lot of science in this book, but Rebecca Skloot does an excellent job of making it easy to understand and incredibly interesting. She also tells the story of Henrietta's life and family history which has been pretty much unknown.
This is probably the best nonfiction book that I have read. Rebecca Skloot did an impressive job of finding buried information about Henrietta's life as well as her medical history. She states in the beginning that "no names have been changed, no characters invented, no events fabricated". She has given us a beautiful and important book. Loved it. 5/5

Guess what I found in my mailbox today?

2011-03-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Yay! Once I am done jumping up and down and
hugging my book, this is what I'll be starting
today.

Juliet by Anne Fortier

2011-03-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

I picked up Juliet because I saw five star review after five star review on Goodreads. I also saw Jamie Ford's glowing comments (author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, which I lovedlovedloved). So okay, I had to try it. And it was pretty good. I wasn't blown away like the rest of the reading world, but I liked it.

The story is about a young woman named Julie Jacobs (she later finds out that her real name was Giulietta Tolomei) who is surprised to find out that she has been left out of her beloved aunt's will, but instead is secretly given a key to something her mother left behind in Siena, Italy when she died. So off Julie goes to Italy to unlock the puzzle. She comes to discover that she is a descendant of another Giulietta Tolomei, the woman who inspired Shakespeare's tragedy. The story then goes between Julie's journey to find out the truth and Giulietta's life in 1340. It's an interesting plot with mystery, colorful characters, and history. There is a modern day Romeo & Juliet spin to it, an evil twin, and bad guys lurking in the shadows. Overall it was a good story.

I did have a few problems with it that separate my opinion from many others. There were times when it seemed to shift into fluffy chick-lit. I have nothing against chick-lit, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Then it shifted back to feeling like historical fiction. I got into that mode and then, surprise, it was chick-lit again. It couldn't decide what it wanted to be. I definitely would have preferred historical fiction with a more serious modern day story. Another thing that I thought was overdone was the sibling rivalry with the twin sister. It was a good part of the story, but started to feel a little ridiculous with the twists closer to the end. I can't elaborate without spoilers so I'll leave it at that.

I didn't find this to be a "must read" five star book like many other people did. It was entertaining though. I'd give it 3.5/5.

reading now

2011-03-16T11:05:00.001-07:00

I am in the middle of Juliet by Anne Fortier. It's going slowly, but I am enjoying it. I just don't remember a book taking me so long since The Pillars of the Earth.

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Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2011-03-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

I was looking forward to this book because I really liked the author's debut novel, Before I Fall, but this was a disappointment. The story is about Lena, who lives in a government-managed society in the near future. The government forces every person to be cured of amor deliria nervosa (love) as they reach the age of eighteen in order to protect them from the pain and madness that it causes, and each is matched by scientists to their future husband or wife. Lena is looking forward to being "cured" because of her mother's suicide (her mother was infected). Obviously Lena changes her mind when she falls in love prior to her procedure. Um, who saw that coming? This could have been a really good story, but there were just too many problems with it.
First of all I never bought into the love story. I didn't feel anything in the initial meetings between Lena and Alex. He winked at her and suddenly she was madly in love. It's not that I can't believe in love at first sight, but the feelings didn't come across. Lena was so against love, it seems like it would take something pretty amazing to change her mind. I also don't think that Oliver set up a convincing reason why the society wanted this cure from amor deliria nervosa. How did the current government come into power and why would they want their people to be without emotions? But wait, that's another question that I had. How could people maintain other emotions and only lose their ability to love? I didn't understand it. If she had explained it better then it may have been a more interesting story. It was kind of like watching Lost without the interesting characters and unexpected twists.
This is apparently the beginning of a series, but I am not planning to continue with it even though there is a cliffhanger ending to this one. However, I would read this author again due to her other novel. That one was a goodie.

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

2011-03-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

The book description for The Weird Sisters caught my attention immediately. It's about three grown sisters, Rosalind, Bianca, and Cordelia. They are the daughters of a Shakespearean professor. The family has always been immersed in books, and the girls often think about things in terms of Shakespearean quotes.
Although some of the story is told in flashbacks of their childhood, most of it takes place as all three adult sisters return home when their mother is ill. It's not a reunion that they are happy about.

"We see stories in magazines or newspapers sometimes, or read novels, about the deep and loving realtionships between sisters....Who are these sisters who act like this, who treat each other as their best friends? We have never met them."

I could relate to these sisters. That's one thing that I liked right away. Another thing that was unique about this book was that it was told in what I found described as a plural narrator. It was as if it was always being told by one of the sisters, but it wasn't specifically one of them. Almost as if the reader were a part of the sisterhood...an additional sister who really wasn't a sister. Confusing? It actually wasn't, I am just not describing it well. I liked the style. It brought me into the story right away.
There were a few things that I didn't love about the book. The character of Bianca, or Bean, was definitely a sister that I would have had conflicts with in my real life. I couldn't feel for her. I think she was supposed to become more likable as the book went on, but she wasn't for me. The birth order stereotypes bothered me a little because the author could have been a little more creative there. But overall is was a very good read. I would give it a 4/5.

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

2011-02-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

Wow. I won't write a book description for this one because it's impossible to do it justice with a blurb. Instead I will tell you why I loved it so much. This is definitely more than another WWII book. It's a long one, but it wouldn't have been the same reading experience if it had been cut down. One thing that I loved was that the reader gets to know the characters well before the war really takes over their lives. Although there were a lot of people in this book, the character development is wonderful and I didn't lose track of the individual stories. If someone was there, they were there for a reason. This author doesn't leave you hanging wondering why so-and-so came along.
There is a real sense of what life was like for Jewish people in Hungary and in Paris prior to the war. I saw their false sense of safety and wanted to warn them to do this or that. I would talk to my book and say, "Are you crazy? That will get you into trouble! Don't you understand?" I loved these people. I wanted to protect them.
The epilogue wasn't necessary for me, but I think it was good that she added it for readers that need a more definite sense of closure. Your questions get answered in the story itself, but the epilogue does give a final peek into the futures of the survivors. Overall this was an excellent book. I can't imagine how she could have done better. I look forward to more from this author. I give it a very strong 5/5.

If I stay by Gayle Forman

2011-02-14T08:23:00.000-08:00

It seems that I am reading a lot of stories about near death experiences or after death experiences lately. There was also Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, which was more of a moments-prior-to-death experience. Each has it's own way of showing how one person's life impacts others. In this story, Mia is having a sort of out of body experience as she observes herself in a coma in intensive care. She learns about what has happened to her family members who were in the accident and watches her loved ones talking to her from this removed state. She comes to realize that it is her choice if she stays or decides to go. I was touched by her feelings for her brother as she was trying to discover his fate. She also relives her moments with her parents prior to the accident.
I kept wondering how different this story would be if it was told from the viewpoint of the mother or father. The idea of choosing to continue your life without your children would be a very different struggle. I was impressed with how the author handled this through the eyes of a teenager. It was interesting to see what Mia could and could not experience from this state. There is a sequel coming out in a few months, and I am looking forward to reading it.
This is a quick read with an interesting concept and good characters. I enjoyed it. 4/5

2011-02-14T06:41:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Siobian! I appreciate it!
Dixie will likely be jealous that I was called stylish before she was, haha!

Okay, I am supposed to follow these steps now...

Post 7 random things about you.
1. I haven't let the dog out yet, and she is getting annoyed that I am on the computer.
2. I start just about every day with a Diet Mtn Dew and a game of Cubecrash.
3. Last night I counted my paper vs. ebook reads for the past year (yes, I realize how exciting my evening sounds to others) and it's almost exactly 50/50.
4. I'm still in a bad mood because neither the Bears or the Ravens got to the Superbowl this year.
5. I follow Harlan Coben on twitter, and he's a riot.
6. I can name the states in alphabetical order really really fast. You'd be impressed.
7. I love Kermit the frog. He's one deep frog.

Give the award to 15 other blogs
I'm not sure about 15, but these are some very deserving blogs that I love:
Confessions of a Book Addict http://bookaddictconfessions.blogspot.com/
Glory Bee Attitudes http://glorybeeattitudes.blogspot.com/
Musings of a Bookish Kitty http://www.literaryfeline.com/
The Book Nurse http://thebooknurse.blogspot.com/
Vegaloca http://vegaloca.blogspot.com/
The Next Best Book Blog http://thenextbestbookblog.blogspot.com/
Book Babe http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/
For the Love of Books http://fortheloveofbooks-thebookgirl.blogspot.com/

Contact the blogger and let them know.
Ten-four, Rubber Ducky. I will.

Someone Else's Garden by Dipika Ria

2011-02-12T16:39:00.000-08:00

Someone Else's Garden is about Mamta, the daughter of a cruel low-caste father who has arranged a horrific marriage to get rid of her. Mamta is a hopeful dreamer who goes from one abusive home to another until she is forced to run away in order to save her own life. The story follows many characters, including Mamta's mother and brother, as well as members of the rich family who owns their farm. At first it was somewhat difficult to keep track of the different storylines, but they eventually begin to connect to each other. The picture of life for females in rural India is intense and depressing. At times it was hard for me to continue reading, although I am glad that I did. It is difficult to comprehend how people can live this way in the modern world. I remember having this same reaction when I read
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. I am glad that I read it, but I have a hard time recommending it to someone else. The ending didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book in some ways. It gave a hopeful turn to a very bleak story, but I had a hard time accepting the changes in some of the characters. I would rate it a 4/5, and I would suggest it to readers who are comfortable with very depressing but realistic stories.

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

2011-02-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

One word of advice, don't look at too many book descriptions for this one before you pick it up. I read several, and although they didn't contain spoilers there was just enough for me to predict the major twist in this book very early. That being said, I don't think that this is a "predictable book". It's my own fault. I did too much digging. So I won't spoil anything for you here, girl scout promise.

The story is about Allison, a once very popular and successful high school student who is sent to prison for a serious crime, as she is released to a halfway house five years later. She is desperate to reconnect with her sister who is equally desperate to keep Allison out of her life. It is told from the viewpoints of four different women whose lives eventually come together. I don't want to tell you any more than that, but it is a fast paced book that is full of twists. I finished it in one day because I had to know how things turned out. Readers who enjoy Jodi Picoult should read this one. I will definitely read more by this author. I would give it a strong 4/5.

Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin

2011-01-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

     I just finished this one, and I am torn on what to say about it. The main character, Angel, is a baker who runs her own business from her apartment in Kigali, Rwanda. Living in an ex-pat community allows her to interact with people from a variety of countries and cultures as they come to order cakes for their celebrations. Through these encounters she becomes a sympathetic ear and a voice of guidance to others' troubles.
     The concept of this book was very interesting. A lot of serious issues, such as genocide and AIDS, were presented through the lives of her customers. The stories of survival were hopeful, and I felt like I got a taste for what people went through in Rwanda without the graphic intensity of other things that I have read. I really enjoyed Angel. Her reactions to things often had me laughing.
     However, the pace of this book was beyond slow.The conversations contained so much meaningless filler at times. The descriptions of having tea or decorating the cakes began to bore me to tears after a while. I also had a hard time buying that so many people, often complete strangers to Angel, would easily vent their personal problems in such detail.
     There wasn't really a solid plot to this book. It was more like multiple small stories happening at once, sometimes connecting and sometimes not. Keeping the characters straight wasn't always easy.
So how do I rate this book? Some things about it were very good, and I believe that readers who are comfortable with the slow pace may really enjoy it. It dragged too much for my own taste though. I have to say 3/5-good.

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

2011-01-20T20:53:00.000-08:00

I admit it, I picked up The Imperfectionists to see what all the hype was about. I can't resist reading something that makes multiple lists for "books of the year". The book was actually broken down into short stories centering on a variety of characters who were connected to a Rome-based international newspaper. Although each character was the focus of only one chapter, they all continued to pop in and out of the others. Therefore the loose ends left in one story were often answered in another. I enjoy this style of writing. It is similar to Daniyal Mueenuddin's In Other Rooms, Other Wonders.
I have mixed feelings on the book overall. It definitely grabbed my attention and kept it, and I read through it quickly. Some of the stories were more interesting to me than others. Personally I really liked the chapter on Ornella, an elderly woman who started reading every copy of the newspaper in 1976 and refused to move on or hear any current news beyond where she was in her newspaper reading. Due to falling behind in her reading, she was living her life as if it were 13 years earlier. Isolation, loneliness, and unhappiness are constants throughout the stories. Even so, I liked the reading experience until almost the end. I felt that one pointless incident in the last story took away from my enjoyment of the book. I wish he hadn't chosen to add it. This would have been a strong 4 star book for me, but ended up as more of a 3/5.

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

2011-01-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

I expected to be disappointed in this book, probably due to a review that I read at some point, but I wanted to read it regardless because I loved Still Alice. Well, I wasn't disappointed at all. This is a really good story. My only problem with it is that Sarah, the main character who is suffering from a brain injury, comes across as the exact same character as Alice from the first book. Their personalities felt like carbon copies. Fortunately I really liked Alice, but would have preferred a new character in Sarah.
I have to say that Lisa Genova has a great talent for explaining a disability in a way that readers can really understand. She can make sense of how things feel. I am also impressed with the fact that she can take such heavy subjects and create stories that are hopeful rather than depressing. I really feel like I take something away from her books, and I look forward to what she will do next. 4.5/5

The Many Conditions of Love by Farahad Zama

2011-01-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

The Many Conditions of Love is the second book in Farahad Zama's Marriage Bureau for Rich People series. It looks like there is a third book coming out in March. The series is about Mr Ali, a retired Indian civil servant who opens a matchmaking service on his veranda. The second book focuses less on Mr. Ali's business and more on Aruna, Mr. Ali's assistant who is newly married and begins to have troubles when her spiteful sister-in-law comes to stay. Rehman, Mr. and Mrs. Ali's son, is also a large focus of this story. He begins dating a non-Muslim, and family conflicts develop on both sides.
I enjoyed this one, although not as much as the first simply because I love reading about Mr. Ali's matchmaking clients. These are light and quirky books so I think the more serious themes don't work as well. I hope that the third book returns more to the marriage bureau itself. Either way I am looking forward to reading it. 4/5

Happy New Year...or what I now call Car Crash Monday

2011-01-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone is starting off their new year well. My Toyota got crunched up this morning on my way to dropping my daughter at school so I guess I'm starting off with a bang. My goal for the upcoming year in reading is simply to read what I already have and reduce my book purchases significantly. I tried that before, and it didn't work out so well. However, I'm going to give it another go. Trading and trade-in credits are acceptable though...oh, and gift cards...and the books that I have to get for book club because really what choice do I have there? Maybe exceptions for Harlan Coben and any Stephanie Plum novels. Those don't really count, right?

Another goal is to read more comforting books once and a while. So on that note I am starting with the second book in the series following The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama. The first book was funny, set in India, and simply an entertaining read. Perfect for me. Therefore, I am beginning The Many Conditions of Love.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

2010-12-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

What a beautifully subtle book this is! It is told from the point of view of an English butler who devotes every bit of himself to doing the perfect job. As he takes a trip across the countryside, he thinks back over his years of service, and truths about the man that he served begin to surface in his memories. I love the way that the author blends humor and heartbreak into the story. The main character, Stevens, has an internal struggle with his inability to banter with his employer which is hilarious. The way that this continued to pop up throughout the story was so funny. At the same time this is a story about regrets that really touched me. I am so glad that I finally pulled this one off the shelf. I loved it. 5/5

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

2010-12-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

I recently finished People of the Book, which has been sitting on my shelf since it came out on hardcover. I remember grabbing it up immediately because I loved Year of Wonders, but then I heard several bad reviews and ended up putting it off. I should have ignored the reviews and given it a shot then because it turned out to be just the kind of book I enjoy.
It is the story of a rare book expert who is hired to conserve a Hebrew manuscript written in the fifteenth century. As she studies the book she finds mysterious clues about where it has been. The story then follows the book's journey from person to person who took care of it. I enjoyed each time period and the characters that were created for each story. The contemporary story about Hanna, the book expert, wasn't quite as good. This book is full of history and gives interesting background on the relationships of the Jewish and Muslim people. Very good-4.5/5

Book Club Anniversary night out

2010-12-06T19:44:00.000-08:00

Thank you to my wonderful club for our first year! And thanks to our fabulous waiters who made our night out very special. I'm lucky to have you ladies in my life!

The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall

2010-12-06T04:16:00.000-08:00

Vish Puri, India’s Most Private Investigator, is back in his second mystery, The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing. In this one a prominent Indian scientist and well-known critic of religious gurus and their miracles is murdered in public (during his laughing group) by the Goddess Kali. Vish Puri is out to prove that this is not a
supernatural occurrence with the help of his team of undercover operatives.
I love these books! They are light, funny, and full of colorful characters. I hope that Tarquin Hall continues to write this series as they are my favorite choice for comfort reading. 5/5

I'm ready to pick my best for 2010

2010-12-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

Although the year isn't over yet, I know my reading time will be limited in the next few weeks. I am sure that my favorites for the year will be the same by then. I've read so many good books this year, but the ones that stood out continue to do so. So from the 90 books that I have read so far, these are my clear favorites.
The best book for me in 2010 has been Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings. This is being released in the United States this week, and I hope that it finds a lot of success. My other favorites are The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam, Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli, Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, Still Alice by Lisa Genova, A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam, and The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart. The Julia Stewart book is a great treat for anyone looking for an entertaining and funny read.
I am currently reading Tarquin Hall's book, which is the second in a wonderful series. They are definitely worth checking out. Happy Reading!

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa

2010-11-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

I was drawn to Mornings in Jenin when I saw a description on Goodreads because I can't recall reading anything from the Palestinian perspective of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This novel is about several generations of the Abulheja family, beginning with them being driven from their home on an olive farm in 1948 to a refugee camp. During this chaos, a baby is stolen from the family by an Israeli soldier. The story follows their lives as well as that of the stolen child, David. The main character in the story is Amal, who is born in the refugee camp and learns a lot about her family through the stories that they tell. It follows her through 2002 when she returns to the Middle East after raising her daughter in the United States.

I appreciate that the author placed a family tree in the beginning of the book. It made it much easier to get involved in the story before the names became familiar because there are several shifts in time. I also was grateful for the small glossary in the back as I used it many times. There were shifts in point of view, but I felt that these were done well and filled in the missing pieces of the story as I needed them. I've seen some criticism of the author's style, but it worked well for me.

This wasn't an easy book to read for many reasons. The horrors of the war and the suffering of the refugees is quite intense. It is also unsettling to read about the Palestinian side of the conflict because it isn't something that I've heard much about. It does tend to come across in black and white terms with Israel being "bad". That was tough for me as these Holocaust survivors were being called terrorists. However, I understand that this is a story from the viewpoint of a refugee and they are also entitled to their story.

I really liked Amal's story, and I was touched at how her understanding of her mother unfolded. I also really liked the story of Ari and Hasan's friendship. What Ari reveals at the end of the book was the best part for me. I wish we could have spent more time with Ari. Overall I was very impressed with this novel and appreciated the history from the Palestinian experience. I think it would have been stronger if it had been a little more balanced, but it was still very good. 4/5

Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings

2010-11-07T05:19:00.000-08:00

Last night I finished Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings, and I still don't know how to express how much I loved this book. The story is told by the Kitchen God, Zao Jun, who is challenged by the Jade Emperor to find out what drives the human heart. He follows the lives of Yuying and Jinyi from 1942 until 2000 as they meet through an unconventional arranged marriage prior to the Communist take over and survive the years of Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution. The Kitchen God also briefly tells his story as a mortal before he is transformed into a household god due to the events of his death.
Simply put, this is the most moving book that I have read about the culture and history of China. Mythology and folktales are blended beautifully into the story of Yuying and Jinyi. I would recommend this to just about anyone, but readers who enjoy books about China cannot miss this one. I give it a very strong 5/5.

A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam

2010-10-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have had A Golden Age on my Kindle for such a long time. I have no idea why it has taken me so long to read it, but I have been missing out. What an amazing book this is! For one thing this is a history lesson on the Bangladesh Liberation War and the genocide that took place in 1971. The story is set mainly in the area of the University of Dhaka. It's a story about Rehana and her two children, Maya and Sohail. The children both attend the university. Maya is a feminist who is frustrated with not being able to contribute more to the war, and Sohail is a pacifist who becomes a guerilla soldier. The book is full of colorful characters that show many different perspectives on the war. I loved so many of them. Rehana's character development throughout the book was my favorite, but I also became very attached to Sohail. I've seen some reviews that say that this is the beginning of a trilogy. I will definitely be looking for the next book. 5/5

What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman

2010-10-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

What is Left the Daughter is told by Wyatt through a letter to the daughter he hasn't seen since she was a baby. He writes to confess his reasons for being absent in her life. Most of his story takes place in Nova Scotia in 1942, during WWII. Wyatt's parents both die on the same day in bizarre identical suicides when he is a teenager, and Wyatt goes to live with his aunt, uncle, and the "cousin" he falls in love with. Don't worry, none of that is spoiler information. You can find it on the book flap. The main conflict in the story comes when a German immigrant arrives in town, a love triangle begins, and a family is torn apart.

I enjoyed reading about this history from the Canadian point of view. The author shows how regular people can respond to situations and other people in such surprising and often brutal ways when they are living through extraordinary conditions such as war. I thought the characters were well developed and felt real, and the style of the book was perfect for the story. One criticism that I would have is that the story seemed to end before the book did. The ending kind of puttered along for a bit. Overall I thought it was very good, and I would recommend this to anyone who likes reading about WWII. 4/5

Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah

2010-10-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

After finishing Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah, I am a little surprised to look back at Amazon and see so many five star reviews. It's not that I think it's a bad book, I actually enjoyed reading it, but it was very predictable and there isn't much that makes it stand out. The story is about Isabelle, a Chinese American woman approaching her thirties, who has lost her job at a New York magazine and is looking for a fresh start. She decides to move to Beijing to live with her sister, Claire. Once she is in Beijing she finds a job as a food critic for an expat magazine. The typical chick lit romantic storylines follow.

Isabelle didn't evolve much as a character, but she did find her way to happiness as the main characters tend to do in these type of books. I did learn quite a bit about Chinese cuisine, and a little bit about life in modern China. This is a book that I would easily suggest to a friend heading on vacation. It's light and easy to read, and at times it is pretty funny. However, I would not consider it for a bookclub discussion so the reading group guide in the back surprised me. I would rate this one as a 3/5.

Room by Emma Donoghue

2010-10-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

Room is told through the eyes of Jack, a five year old boy who is born in captivity to a mother who was kidnapped. The two of them live in a twelve foot square soundproof shed. The story follows them through their escape and experiences adjusting to the real world.

I expected this to be an upsetting book to read so I almost didn't pick it up. It really wasn't that type of book. Since it is told through Jack's innocent perspective, the horrors are implied instead of described. It wasn't shocking in the way that I thought it would be. The author captures Jack's bewilderment with the world very well. However, there are some things that I thought were overdone and somewhat annoying, such as Jack's issues with breastfeeding and his fixation with his mother's tooth. I could have done with a little less of that although I understood her purpose. Overall it was a very good read. Don't avoid it because you think it might be too creepy. 4/5

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

2010-09-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Hunger Games trilogy is set in the future in a place called Panem, which was once North America. The Capitol is surrounded by 12 districts, each which serves the needs of the Capitol. The districts are forced to compete in the annual Hunger Games as a punishment for past rebellion. Every child between the ages 12 and 18 is required to enter their names into the drawing, and those who are chosen fight in a televised battle to the death with only one winner. The story follows Katniss as she becomes part of the games. To say anything more would be giving away plot that I think could spoil the trilogy. Be careful about reading long reviews because I think that this story is better experienced if you don't know too many of the twists ahead of time.
I enjoyed the first book the most, however, the trilogy as a whole is excellent. The violence in the last book is the most intense, and I'm still not sure what I think of some parts of the ending. However, I think the author brings it all together in a way that makes sense for the story. If you are a big chicken (like me), these books will probably push your comfort zone, but are well worth it.

The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama

2010-09-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

This review may seem a little backwards because I believe that there is so much more to this story than what is on the surface. I just finished this one, and I’ve been thinking about what it is that made me love it so much. I believe that one message in this book is not to take people at face value, but more so, that we should not judge people’s reactions to situations as weaknesses in their character. One character in this novel especially showed that being devoted to someone means not reacting to a situation in the way that people expect you to. Loyalty to someone that you love may indeed mean not doing what is the best thing for you as an individual at that time. To love someone more than yourself may not be something that others understand, but it was something shown beautifully through these characters. They really touched my emotions.

There is a lot packed into this short novel. Stephen is a young Chinese man who is sent to his family’s summer home in Japan to recover from illness. World War II is beginning, and Stephen experiences this as he lives in the land of the enemy. However, he meets several amazing Japanese people who he becomes connected to in ways that he never expected.

I have read several stories that show how people with leprosy were treated by their societies and their families. This gives another perspective on this experience. People who enjoyed reading Moloka'i by Alan Brennert would also like this book in my opinion. I loved it, 5/5.

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

2010-09-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

When Lavinia was seven she was orphaned while traveling to the U.S. from Ireland. She was taken in as a servant to work in the kitchen house with the slaves on a large plantation. Belle, the illegitimate daughter of the plantation owner, takes on the role of Lavinia's caregiver. What follows is a story about family, slavery, and the long term consequences of the choices people make.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book at first because it sounded like it may be another version of a story that I've read many times before. However, Lavinia's storyline as an Irish indentured servant gave it a unique feel right away. The other characters, both the good and the evil, were richly developed. As much as I hated Marshall, the plantation owner's son, I was also rooting for the good in him to come out. You will see how he became what he was, and that he wasn't just a one-dimensional bad guy. The author's note in the back provides an interesting addition to the story as well. I really think this is an outstanding book, and I would rate it a 5/5.

Fragile by Lisa Unger

2010-09-06T05:56:00.000-07:00

Fragile by Lisa Unger is about Charlene, a missing and troubled teenager from a small town. It's also about Sarah, another girl who went missing years before in the same town. The story is told in the past when Sarah was a teenager and attended school with many of the main characters, and also in the present as these same characters are the parents of Charlene's classmates. Maggie, a local psychologist, is married to the town's lead detective. They both went to school with Sarah, and now their son is dating Charlene.

Lisa Unger writes great suspense novels that I always enjoy, and this one did not disappoint me. Each layer of this story kept me reading. It was impossible to find a good stopping point. It did seem like the book jacket gave too much plot. Skip over the jacket description if you can deal with that temptation. Some parts of this novel were pretty predictable, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. One thing that I really like about this author is that she doesn't do the quickie conclusion and wrap everything up in 4 pages as some authors seem to always do. She takes time to connect the dots with all of her storylines, and I find myself much more satisfied with her endings. I would rate this as very good, 4/5.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

2010-09-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

This post should be called The Particular Sadness of Christine's Book Choices. I enjoyed the beginning of this book so much, but then it became so weird that it lost me. The story is about Rose, a girl who discovers that she can feel the emotions of others through food that they prepare. The beginning grabbed me right away and several things were brought into the story that were really intriguing. The problem is that some things were just dropped. I kept waiting for more, but it wasn't there. Then there was Joseph, Rose's brother. I can't explain my problems with his storyline without big spoilers, so I won't be specific. I assume that the author wanted the readers to take his story metaphorically, but it definitely seemed like she wanted us to take it literally, which would be too weird.

I also have to mention the lack of quotation marks. The book was mainly dialogue, but there were no quotation marks. Since it was written in first person, this was beyond confusing. I had to keep stopping to figure out if Rose said something or simply though it to herself. Overall I found this to be a very disappointing book. Again, there are plently of glowing reviews out there so this is just my take on it. I think I found another 2/5.

The Summer We Fell Apart by Robin Antalek

2010-09-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Summer We Fell Apart is the story of a seriously dysfunctional family, told from the perspective of four siblings and their mother, Marilyn, a cult movie actress. The father is an absent and selfish playwright. Each sibling has their own personal set of flaws, anxieties and painful memories. I found most of the characters completely unlikable, which made it difficult for me to care about their dysfunctional lives. George was the one character that I was rooting for from the beginning, but then his own section fell somewhat flat. Reading this reminded me of the way I felt when I read The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen...I just didn't care what happened to any of these people. This just wasn't the book for me, although I know there are many good reviews. I gave it a 2/5.

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

2010-08-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I've broken my slump. I came to realize that the kids returning to school is going to be something that will be making me wacky anxious for a while, so it's best to just read-read-read and push through it. So today I finished The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. I chose this book because it won the Man Booker Prize, and I tend to really like any book that wins that particular award. It's also about India....need I say more on that? As I read the book I was very drawn into the story, interested in another look at the history, and attached to the characters. I didn't honestly like many of the characters, but I wanted to see where their stories were going. This is not a book that will make you feel good because there is so much misery in each person's life, and some of their actions make it hard to feel for them. I was rooting for a few hopeful endings, but it wasn't to be. In a way I really liked the book for the sake of the history. It was another look at India through the eyes of a variety of social classes. That always interests me, and so in a way I would like to give it a high rating. It's well written and had an impact on me. However, it was a pretty hopeless look at life in India and in America. I'm glad that I read it, but I am not sure if I'd suggest it to a friend.

reading slump

2010-08-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

I'm having a slump. I know it's not my book because the bit that I have read is very good. It is probably the kids going back to school, me looking for a job, yada yada yada. I need a slump breaker.

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

2010-08-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares is the story of Daniel Grey, who has the ability to remember his past lives and recognize others who he has known during those lives. He has gone through centuries with the guilt of something that he did during his first lifetime to the woman that he comes to love in a later life. The story is told through the eyes of Daniel and Lucy. Although Lucy does not have the ability to remember past lives, he continues to find her and try to convince her. Daniel's vengeful brother, Joaquim, from his first life in North Africa in 541, is another character who carries the memory.

I wondered if it would be difficult to follow the story with the jumps in time (and even in the names of characters, although Daniel keeps his name throughout the story), but it all came together very well. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was totally engrossing from the very beginning. I really didn't like the way that it ended without closure. However, I found out that this is the beginning of a trilogy so I guess I can handle the non-ending. I wish I had known this prior to picking it up because I may have waited until the next one was closer. I hope that the next book explores more of Joaquim's backstory, possibly even through his point of view.

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart

2010-07-31T22:21:00.000-07:00

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart came to me from Doubleday as an advance reader copy. The initial description caught my attention, but the book was more charming and entertaining than I could have expected. It is the story of Balthazar Jones and his wife, Hebe, who live in the Tower of London. He is a Beefeater that is given the unexpected responsibility of caring for a new royal menagerie, animals moved from the London Zoo to the Tower to improve tourism. The story is full of colorful characters and the most hilarious situations. I loved reading about Hebe's job at the lost and found. Although some of the life struggles that the characters face are sad, they show that life does go on.

The storyline itself was truly entertaining, but what I loved most about the book were the wonderful characters and their realtionships. It is also full of history about the Tower of London, but this is blended into the story beautifully. I would describe this book as a comfort read that is both funny and touching. 5/5

The Red Thread by Ann Hood

2010-07-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

This is a story about Maya Lange, a woman with a tragic past who opens The Red Thread adoption agency. The agency places unwanted baby girls from China with American families. The novel focuses on the families seeking adoptions, but it also includes brief stories of the birth mothers and how they came to abandon their babies. I thought this was a very interesting concept for a book. My favorite parts were those about the birth mothers in China. I wish that those sections had been a larger part of the overall novel.

I was bothered by several things while reading this story. The couples going through the adoption process were all so dysfunctional. One woman was even ashamed of her disabled daughter and wanting to adopt so that she could have a normal child. Maya seemed to feel that having a baby would somehow fix these people, and she at times pushed reluctant people with the idea that they would come around. I didn't want to see any of these people get a baby, and I was disappointed in Maya for moving forward with the couples.

I think this could have been a very good book if a few of the couples had been likable. The stories set in China were very good, but too few and far between. The character of Susannah, the mother of the disabled child, probably ruined my enjoyment of the book the most. I'd rate this one a 2.5/5.

The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha

2010-07-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha is a story about Irene and Nate Stanley, who move with their children, Bliss and Shep, from their small Illinois town for a job in Oregon. The choice has disastrous consequences when Shep is killed during an apparent home robbery. The story then follows the family as they deal with the loss in the years directly following the crime. It also transitions back and forth to the story of Shep's killer during his final days on death row. Irene begins communicating with her son's killer, and secrets about what really happened begin to come out.

This is definitely a page-turner, and the transitions between characters and time are smooth and easy to follow. The author's political views are quite obvious, and there are some pretty strong stereotypes. Ummm...people from small towns as conservative rednecks lacks creativity. I also expected the twist very early on, although it was still interesting to watch it all unfold. Without giving spoilers I will say that I think the storyline for Bliss got off track, and that knocked my overall rating of the book down a bit. I'd give it a 3.5/5.

The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey

2010-07-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

The House on Fortune Street is a story told by four characters, Sean, Cameron, Dara, and Abigail. One common tragic event is the focus of each section, although their individual pasts leading up to this point are all revealed. Dara and Abigail are an unlikely pair of friends, Cameron is Dara's troubled father, and Sean is Abigail's boyfriend who is struggling with guilt and jealousy.

This was one of those books that I couldn't stop reading, although I had difficulty feeling for some of the characters, particularly Cameron. I was frustrated for Dara. I wish that her section would have been a little bit longer and that she would have found more answers. I felt oddly sympathetic to Sean, the first character to share his story, and his struggles really drew me into the book. Their stories came together well and showed how one person's choices really change another person's life. Overall I really liked this book, but not quite enough to give it a 5...how about a hearty 4 out of 5?

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

2010-07-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng is set in 1939 on the Malayan island of Penang. Philip Hutton is the teen son of one of Penang's top trading families. He is half-Chinese and half-English, and therefore feels like an outcast in both his family and community. Philip meets Endo, a Japanese diplomat, and finds a friend and teacher in the art of aikido. When Philip later discovers that Endo is a Japanese spy, he also realizes that he has helped the Japanese in their invasion of Malaya and has unknowingly become a traitor.

There are so many things that I loved about this book. Philip reveals his history to Michiko, a woman who loved Endo before he went to Penang. Michiko gave a glimpse of another side of Endo. Michiko's character added a lot to the emotion of the story although she played a small part in the plot. This book was also a great lesson in history, which I love.

I never really grew to like Endo or understand why Philip was so devoted to him. I didn't feel for Endo, and I know that I was supposed to. So much of what Philip did seemed meaningless because of Endo. For this reason I would rate this book a 4/5 instead of a solid 5.

The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall

2010-07-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall is a charming and entertaining mystery full of a variety of distinctive characters. He shows the class differences in contemporary India, the confusing legal system, and the erratic transportation and communication systems of Delhi in the most humorous situations. Vish Puri is the private investigator attempting to solve the case of a missing maidservant who is believed to be a victim of murder. He and his team of undercover operatives find themselves trying to find the missing girl with no information to go on but rumors and gossip. This book was simply a lot of fun to read. I look forward to reading his next mystery, The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing.

One Day by David Nicholls

2010-06-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading One Day by David Nicholls. The story follows the lives of Dexter and Emma by returning to them on the same day every year to see what has happened to each of them, as well as where their relationship has gone. It's a good concept. However, I found myself wanting to slap both Dexter and Emma throughout the book (or at least flick them in the forehead). I was frustrated with the missed opportunities that they had, and their lack of communication was depressing to me. I guess that's what makes them believable, this is what people do.

There are several funny moments. I loved the letters that they wrote to each other. As I have heard many people say, this will obviously be headed to the movies. I won't give away anything about then ending, but I will say that it was predictable for me. It wasn't a feel-good story in my opinion, although realistic. In this case, realistic was a frustrating read.

Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy

2010-06-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

So far I have read the first two books of Stieg Larsson's trilogy, and I have mixed feelings about the books at this point. I enjoyed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo more than The Girl Who Played with Fire because I was really interested in the mystery of Harriet Vanger. Mikael Blomkvist, a disgraced financial journalist who was found guilty of libel, is hired to write a book about the Vanger's family history and to try to find something new about the unsolved disappearance of Harriet Vanger. Eventually Lisbeth Salander joins him in his search for answers. This book has everything from family secrets to corporate fraud, Nazis, sexual violence...the list goes on and on. I thought the first book was very good, although a bit intense for me at times (I am a big baby when it comes to creepy books). The second book didn't grab me as much. It focuses more on Lisbeth's violent past, and it was even more brutal than the first. I will read the third book, however, because I want to know what will happen with Mikael and Lisbeth. I have heard that the original title was Men Who Hate Women. Keep that in mind if you are planning to read them. I think the title fits.

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

2010-06-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

Someone on Goodreads suggested reading this novel without reading the book flap first. It was easy to take that advice since I purchased this one as an ebook. I resisted the temptation to look up the description, and therefore I had no idea what was coming. So I won't post a summary here for those of you who haven't read it. With that said, this is an excellent, sad, heartbreaking novel. She really captures you with her writing. I haven't tried any of her other books, but now I intend to. I'm sure that this one will stick in my mind for a long time. At the moment, it has me just sad...I need cupcakes....definitely chocolate cupcakes. (I'd give it a 5/5).

Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos

2010-06-06T04:52:00.000-07:00

Broken for You is one of those books that I've had on my shelf forever, which got there because someone I know loved it, and was lost for a few years in the piles. I'm not sure why I noticed it now, but I am glad that I did. Although some things about the characters made them unbelievable, other things about them spoke directly to me. Wanda was dealing with abandonment, both by her parents and by a man that she loved. Margaret was dealing with personal loss as well as family secrets that were a burden to her. The relationship that the two women build throughout the story was wonderful to read. Here is the actual book description from the back:

When we meet septuagenarian Margaret Hughes, she is living alone in a mansion in Seattle with only a massive collection of valuable antiques for company. Enter Wanda Schultz, a young woman with a broken heart who has come west to search for her wayward boyfriend. Both women are guarding dark secrets and have spent many years building up protective armor against the outside world. As their tentative friendship evolves, the armor begins to fall away and Margaret opens her house to the younger woman. This launches a series of unanticipated events, leading Margaret to discover a way to redeem her cursed past, and Wanda to learn the true purpose of her cross-country journey. Both funny and heartbreaking, Broken for You is a testament to the saving graces of surrogate families and shows how far the tiniest repair jobs can go in righting the world's wrongs.

My last three books

2010-06-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

Jenna Blum's first novel, Those Who Save Us, is one of my favorite books over the recent years so I was very excited to read her new novel as soon as it came out. The Stormchasers is a very different story, but her ability to create amazing characters is consistent. Here is the book description:

As a teenager, Karena Jorge had always been the one to look out for her twin brother Charles, who suffers from bipolar disorder. But as Charles begins to refuse medication and his manic tendencies worsen, Karena finds herself caught between her loyalty to her brother and her fear for his life. Always obsessed with the weather-enraptured by its magical unpredictability that seemed to mirror his own impulses- Charles starts chasing storms, and his behavior grows increasingly erratic . . . until a terrifying storm chase with Karena ends with deadly consequences, tearing the twins apart and changing both of their lives forever.

Two decades later, Karena gets a call from a psychiatric ward in Wichita, Kansas, to come pick up her brother, whom she hasn't seen or spoken to for twenty years. She soon discovers that Charles has lied to the doctors, taken medication that could make him dangerously manic, and disappeared again. Having exhausted every resource to try and track him down, Karena realizes she has only one last chance of finding him: the storms. Wherever the tornadoes are, that's where he'll be. Karena joins a team of professional stormchasers-passionate adventurers who will transform her life and give her a chance at love and redemption- and embarks on an odyssey to find her brother before he reveals the violent secret from their past and does more damage to himself . . . or to someone else.

I love the character of Karena. She struggles with her commitment to Charles and how it is preventing her from having a life of her own. The connections the author has made between the cycling patterns of tornadoes and the rapid-cycling of bipolar disorder are fascinating. It was hard to like the character of Charles, but I felt for him.

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin is a series of connected short stories. The characters are linked together by their employment with K. K. Harouni, a powerful landowner, or by their familial relationships with him. It takes place in Islamabad and rural Pakistan. Much of the focus is on several of Harouni's house servants. Each character is coping with some circumstances that are out of their control, while social status, wealth, and gender all play into their struggles.

I was easily pulled into this book. It was interesting to see how one story may impact another. I was somewhat disappointed at the message of hopelessness. I wanted more happy endings for some of the characters. However, I would still say that it's a very good read. It would be a great choice for readers who like the genre.

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama caught my eye as a possible light break. It was actually perfect for a fun comfort read about a culture that I love reading about. In the story Mr. Ali, a retired civil service worker, opens a matchmaking business on the veranda of his house in an attempt to keep himself busy and out of his wife's hair. Success comes quickly, and we are introduced to his assistant, Aruna. Aruna comes from a poor family that has fallen on bad times, and as her story develops we find out how these things have made it difficult for her to hope for marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Ali also have a grown son who is an activist and is placing himself in danger while leading protests. The story itself is charming and has an easy pace. It would be best described as a comfort read in my opinion.

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

2010-05-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

I have to start with the description on this one. Here it is from the back of the book: In luminous prose, award-winning author Yiyun Li weaves together the lives of unforgettable characters who are forced to make moral choices, and choices for survival, in China in the late 1970s.

As morning dawns on the provincial city of Muddy River, a spirited young woman, Gu Shan, once a devoted follower of Chairman Mao, has renounced her faith in
Communism. Now a political prisoner, she is to be executed for her dissent. While Gu Shan’s distraught mother makes bold decisions, her father begins to retreat into memories. Neither of them imagines that their daughter’s death will have profound and far-reaching effects, in Muddy River and beyond. Among the characters affected are Kai, a beautiful radio announcer who is married to a man from a powerful family; Tong, a lonely seven-year-old boy; and Nini, a hungry young girl. Beijing is being rocked by the Democratic Wall Movement, an anti-Communist groundswell designed to move the country toward a more enlightened and open society, but the government backlash will be severe.

I thought that this book was excellent in so many ways. The writing was beautiful, and the pace was perfect. The characters blended into one another's lives in small ways at first, but then the connections became more dramatic. The story is so rich with history, which is another thing that I loved about it. However, I wonder if I can suggest this to a friend comfortably because it is so brutal, disturbing, and raw that it kicked the emotional stuffing right out of me. The moral choices that each character had to make were heartbreaking. This isn't a book that's going to make you feel good, but it's one that you'll remember. Readers with an interest in the history of China shouldn't miss it. I'm rating it a 4/5 only because there were times it was too much for me. I'm still glad that I read it.

Tell Me Something True by Leila Cobo

2010-05-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

Tell Me Something True is a story told both by Gabriella and her late mother, Helena. Helena's story unfolds through a journal that she kept when Gabriella was a baby. The journal starts off as messages from mother to daughter, but then it becomes a secret diary for herself. Gabriella discovers the journal while she is visiting her grandmother in Cali, Columbia, and she becomes consumed by the need to find out whether her mother planned to abandon her, as appears to be the case in the journal. Gabriella also falls in love with a dangerous man and is torn about whether to follow her heart or the advice of her family.

I expected this to be a five star book as I was reading it. The style and the plot both had me hooked from the beginning. However, this is one of those books that has you waiting for the big bang of an ending, and it just wasn't there. I didn't feel like there was much character growth in Gabriella, and I felt that her mother's story just fizzled out. I'd probably give it a 3 1/2 out of 5, but it could have been a 5. The potential was there.

Early reading in May

2010-05-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

I have started off May with two excellent books, although I haven't felt up to writing reviews lately. However, they are definitely worth mentioning. The first one is

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok. I've seen this book described as chick lit, but I wouldn't agree with that tag. The story is sad, about choices that can't be changed and regrets. The main character is Kimberly, a Chinese immigrant residing in poverty in Brooklyn with her mother. As Kimberly grows up she is faced with some decisions that set the path for her life. I felt very connected to her. I loved the book, and would easily give it a 5/5.

The other novel that I have read so far is Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. It starts off with the description of Philippe Petit's tightrope walk between the Twin Towers in 1974, however, the stories that surround the event are about various people on the ground. The individual stories seem very disjointed at first, but come together beautifully. I loved the writing style of this novel. I loved how well he gave each person their own unique voice. It's a great book, and also a 5/5 on my list.

Tainted by Brooke Morgan

2010-04-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tainted by Brooke Morgan is a tense thriller about a single mother who is swept off her feet by a charming British man she meets by chance when he moves to her small town. He seems out of her league and too good to be true. Slowly she discovers that he has a great deal of secrets and is not who he claims to be. If you are looking for a good thriller to pass the time, this may be the book for you. It was somewhat predictable, and at times it felt that scenes in which she, her family, and friends were figuring things out went on way too long. Overall it was pretty good. 3/5

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai

2010-04-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

This very charming story, set in the Indian village of Shakhot, centers on Sampath Chawla. Born on a magical night when a terrible drought comes to an end and food accidentally drops from the sky, it seems that he is destined for greatness. Fast forward about twenty years, and he is disappointing his family with a string of failures and disgraceful incidents which cause him to seek an escape by climbing a guava tree. He is then mistaken for a holy man, sending his town into chaos. Oh yeah, the town is also being terrorized by a pack of brazen monkeys.
This book is simply a lot of fun to read. If you are looking for something entertaining, what could be better?

Cowboy & Wills by Monica Holloway

2010-04-13T04:49:00.000-07:00

Last night I finished Cowboy & Wills: A Love Story by Monica Holloway. This is only the first part of the description on the book flap: The day Monica learns that her lovable, brilliant three-year-old son, Wills, has autism spectrum disorder, she takes him to buy an aquarium. It's the first in a string of impulsive trips to the pet store to buy animals as a distraction from the uncontrollable, crushing reality of Wills's diagnosis. But while Wills diligently tends to the growing menagerie, what he really wants is a puppy. And one Christmas, when Wills is six, Cowboy Carol Lawrence joins their family....

There were times that I felt like this book was written just for me. Many of Monica Holloway's experiences and emotions were very similar to my own during the diagnosis and acceptance stage of autism. Her impulsivity and need to find control were easy for me to relate to, although I know that they seem unreasonable to some. I've read some criticism of her way of dealing with the situation, but I don't agree. As a parent, you do what you can to make things better for your child, and nobody is going to deal with that in the same way.

There is a part when she is given feedback from the professionls after months of testing and she says, "The diagnosis was expected, but reading paragraph after clinical paragraph, forty-eight pages of what Wills could not do--how ill at ease he was with the world and himself--was crushing..." She captures it right there. This is why I hate IEP meetings.

What I loved about this book was that it was hopeful. She took the situation and found a way to laugh about things, to enjoy her son's individual strengths, and help him move on. The stories about Cowboy's puppy days were wonderful. I also felt connected to those. Cowboy ate horse poop, and hey, Dixie likes goose poop! I am so glad that a friend brought this book to my attention. It's comforting to know that somebody has been where you are, and that they found hope and humor in it. 5/5

The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

2010-04-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

I just finished The Lotus Eaters, a story about wartime Vietnam. It took me longer to read than most, but I didn't want to rush it.
Helen Adams is a photojournalist who goes to Vietnam to find out how her brother died, planning to stay just a few months. She is fresh and inexperienced, and she wants to prove herself in a world dominated by men. Through her experiences she becomes hooked on the war and in love with the country, and she remains in Vietnam until the war comes to an end. Helen meets Sam Darrow, a seasoned war photographer who becomes her lover. The story is also about Linh, Sam Darrow's Vietnamese assistant with a secret past. The story opens as the war is lost and Helen and Linh are trying to make their way to the American embassy to escape. The suspenseful beginning hooked me right away. The story then goes back to when Helen first arrived in Vietnam, and we gradually learn about the past of these characters. I loved each one of them, especially Linh. The book gave me a look at Vietnam that I've never had. It was disturbing to read at times, but Soli gave a very complete picture of the war and the Vietnamese people. I thought this book was excellent. It was definitely a 5/5 for me.

Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji

2010-04-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

Description: In a middle-class neighborhood of Iran's sprawling capital city, 17-year-old Pasha Shahed spends the summer of 1973 on his rooftop with his best friend Ahmed, joking around one minute and asking burning questions about life the next. He also hides a secret love for his beautiful neighbor Zari, who has been betrothed since birth to another man. But the bliss of Pasha and Zari's stolen time together is shattered when Pasha unwittingly acts as a beacon for the Shah's secret police. The violent consequences awaken him to the reality of living under a powerful despot, and lead Zari to make a shocking choice.

This book surprised me. I was expecting something very intense and serious from the description, and it was that but also so much more. There is a lot of humor in this coming-of-age in 1970's Iran story. The funny and the sad blended so well. I loved the friendship between Pasha and Ahmed. I would definitely suggest this one to others. 4.5/5

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

2010-04-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

partial description from the flap: THE NAMESAKE follows the Ganguli family through its journey from Calcutta to Cambridge to the Boston suburbs. Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli arrive in America at the end of the 1960s, shortly after their arranged marriage in Calcutta, in order for Ashoke to finish his engineering degree at MIT. Ashoke is forward-thinking, ready to enter into American culture if not fully at least with an open mind. His young bride is far less malleable. Isolated, desperately missing her large family back in India, she will never be at peace with this new world.

Soon after they arrive in Cambridge, their first child is born, a boy. According to Indian custom, the child will be given two names: an official name, to be bestowed by the great-grandmother, and a pet name to be used only by family. But the letter from India with the child's official name never arrives, and so the baby's parents decide on a pet name to use for the time being. Ashoke chooses a name that has particular significance for him: on a train trip back in India several years earlier, he had been reading a short story collection by one of his most beloved Russian writers, Nikolai Gogol, when the train derailed in the middle of the night, killing almost all the sleeping passengers onboard. Ashoke had stayed awake to read his Gogol, and he believes the book saved his life. His child will be known, then, as Gogol.

I originally started reading this novel a few years ago. For some reason I could not get into it and set it aside for another time. After reading (and loving) Interpreter of Maladies I decided to give it another try. What a different experience it was this time for me. I loved the story of Ashima and Ashoke, especially Ashoke's backstory. I felt both frustration with and sympathy for Gogol. The transformation that he makes throughout the book didn't seem to be completely believable to me at times. I am looking forward to seeing the film version now because I have heard so many people say that they enjoyed it even more than the book. I do adore Jhumpa Lahiri's writing style. She is quickly becoming a new favorite for me. I would rate this a 4/5.

Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

2010-03-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

Chris Bohjalian's newest novel focuses on the murder and apparent suicide of a couple in a small town in Vermont. The husband has a known history of abuse, and the case seems to be clear in the beginning. The story begins through the voice of the local pastor who has a secret history with the family. The voices also shift to a young female author who writes about angels, an assistant prosecutor, and the fifteen year-old daughter of the deceased couple. Bohjalian does an excellent job shifting the perspectives and changing the reader's feelings for each character along with the shifts. I had hoped that he would shift back and revisit the earlier characters through their own eyes, but that's not the case. Regardless, it was a great novel. 4.5/5

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

2010-03-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

book description:
Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.

In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all-knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

This was a very enjoyable southern story loaded with eccentric characters. It starts off with the sad and dysfunctional life that CeeCee has with her parents, but soon becomes a cozy and funny read. It's full of positive and hopeful messages. A very good book-4/5

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

2010-03-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to pull this book off of my shelf, but it was such a treat spending my Sunday reading this in one sitting. It is a collection of short stories, some taking place in America and others taking place in India. I had my favorites, but I enjoyed them all. A Temporary Matter and A Real Durwan were the most moving, as well as the most heartbreaking, in my opinion. I always feel like I am left with unanswered questions when I read short stories, and maybe that's what has kept the book on my shelf waiting. I had some here as well, but I only think it's because I wanted more or I just wanted a happier ending for a few characters who I grew attached to very quickly. Don't miss this book. 5/5

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

2010-03-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

Book flap description: On the eve of the monsoons, in a remote Indian village, Kavita gives birth to a baby girl. But in a culture that favors sons, the only way for Kavita to save her newborn daughter's life is to give her away. It is a decision that will haunt her and her husband for the rest of their lives, even after the arrival of their cherished son.

Halfway around the globe, Somer, an American doctor, decides to adopt a child after making the wrenching discovery that she will never have one of her own. When she and her husband, Krishnan, see a photo of the baby with the gold-flecked eyes from a Mumbai orphanage, they are overwhelmed with emotion. Somer knows life will change with the adoption but is convinced that the love they already feel will overcome all obstacles.

Interweaving the stories of Kavita, Somer, and the child that binds both of their destinies, Secret Daughter poignantly explores the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss, identity, and love, as witnessed through the lives of two families—one Indian, one American—and the child that indelibly connects them.

I loved this book. The story offers fascinating characters, especially those of the two mothers involved in the adoption and it's aftermath. There were characters that I started off hating, and ended up really understanding and feeling compassion for. I also found that the author brought readers to different parts of the society of India in a readable way that is sometimes hard to find.

I would suggest this book to anyone who wants to try something about the culture and history if India. Like Thrity Umrigar, Shilpi Somaya Gowda captures it beautifully. I would rate this a 5/5.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

2010-03-08T13:01:00.000-08:00

Jodi Picoult's newest novel is about Jacob, a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome who is obsessed with forensic analysis and follows crime scenes on his police scanner. He is accused of a brutal murder, and his mother is forced to do anything that she can to make people understand Jacob and his autism.

As a mother of an autistic child, I usually avoid fiction that focuses on it. It's either too frustrating or too emotional for me. However, I am a Jodi Picoult fan so I went ahead. I think that she handled the topic of autism well. I related to the mother, and I think that her descriptions of autistic behavior were well done and not stereotyped. The storyline kept me reading even if it was somewhat predictable. What I do not understand is why she decided to end it the way that she did. I'm not going to give spoilers, but I will be surprised if I find any reviews that praise the conclusion of this one.

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris

2010-03-06T21:53:00.000-08:00

I really went back and forth on how much I was enjoying this book. The first person plural voice was something that I liked a lot at first, but it was also a key thing that irritated me closer to the end. Were we ever going to find out who the narrator was? Because the reader seems to be included in the we, does that make the reader part of the story or farther removed from it because we can't see the identity of the narrator? At times I found it to be hilarious, especially early on with the story of the "buckshelves". There were several incidents that had me laughing quite a bit. Other times I found myself to be quite bored. I wonder if the fact that I have never worked in this type of office environment took away some of my ability to relate to the characters. It does get a little more serious for a while, and I think those were some of the better parts of the book. I liked it, but I think I'll probably forget this one very soon.

Thaw by Fiona Robyn

2010-03-01T06:02:00.000-08:00

Ruth's diary is the new novel by Fiona Robyn, called Thaw. She has decided to blog the novel in its entirety over the next few months, so you can read it for free.

Ruth's first entry is below, and you can continue reading tomorrow at http://read-thaw.blogspot.com/

*

These hands are ninety-three years old. They belong to Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. She was so frail that her grand-daughter had to carry her onto the set to take this photo. It's a close-up. Her emaciated arms emerge from the top corners of the photo and the background is black, maybe velvet, as if we're being protected from seeing the strings. One wrist rests on the other, and her fingers hang loose, close together, a pair of folded wings. And you can see her insides.

The bones of her knuckles bulge out of the skin, which sags like plastic that has melted in the sun and is dripping off her, wrinkling and folding. Her veins look as though they're stuck to the outside of her hands. They're a colour that's difficult to describe: blue, but also silver, green; her blood runs through them, close to the surface. The book says she died shortly after they took this picture. Did she even get to see it? Maybe it was the last beautiful thing she left in the world.

I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to carry on living. I'm giving myself three months of this journal to decide. You might think that sounds melodramatic, but I don't think I'm alone in wondering whether it's all worth it. I've seen the look in people's eyes. Stiff suits travelling to work, morning after morning, on the cramped and humid tube. Tarted-up girls and gangs of boys reeking of aftershave, reeling on the pavements on a Friday night, trying to mop up the dreariness of their week with one desperate, fake-happy night. I've heard the weary grief in my dad's voice.

So where do I start with all this? What do you want to know about me? I'm Ruth White, thirty-two years old, going on a hundred. I live alone with no boyfriend and no cat in a tiny flat in central London. In fact, I had a non-relationship with a man at work, Dan, for seven years. I'm sitting in my bedroom-cum-living room right now, looking up every so often at the thin rain slanting across a flat grey sky. I work in a city hospital lab as a microbiologist. My dad is an accountant and lives with his sensible second wife Julie, in a sensible second home. Mother finished dying when I was fourteen, three years after her first diagnosis. What else? What else is there?

Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. I looked at her hands for twelve minutes. It was odd describing what I was seeing in words. Usually the picture just sits inside my head and I swish it around like tasting wine. I have huge books all over my flat - books you have to take in both hands to lift. I've had the photo habit for years. Mother bought me my first book, black and white landscapes by Ansel Adams. When she got really ill, I used to take it to bed with me and look at it for hours, concentrating on the huge trees, the still water, the never-ending skies. I suppose it helped me think about something other than what was happening. I learned to focus on one photo at a time rather than flicking from scene to scene in search of something to hold me. If I concentrate, then everything stands still. Although I use them to escape the world, I also think they bring me closer to it. I've still got that book. When I take it out, I handle the pages as though they might flake into dust.

Mother used to write a journal. When I was small, I sat by her bed in the early mornings on a hard chair and looked at her face as her pen spat out sentences in short bursts. I imagined what she might have been writing about - princesses dressed in star-patterned silk, talking horses, adventures with pirates. More likely she was writing about what she was going to cook for dinner and how irritating Dad's snoring was.

I've always wanted to write my own journal, and this is my chance. Maybe my last chance. The idea is that every night for three months, I'll take one of these heavy sheets of pure white paper, rough under my fingertips, and fill it up on both sides. If my suicide note is nearly a hundred pages long, then no-one can accuse me of not thinking it through. No-one can say, 'It makes no sense; she was a polite, cheerful girl, had everything to live for,' before adding that I did keep myself to myself. It'll all be here. I'm using a silver fountain pen with purple ink. A bit flamboyant for me, I know. I need these idiosyncratic rituals; they hold things in place. Like the way I make tea, squeezing the tea-bag three times, the exact amount of milk, seven stirs. My writing is small and neat; I'm striping the paper. I'm near the bottom of the page now. Only ninety-one more days to go before I'm allowed to make my decision. That's it for today. It's begun.

Continue reading at http://read-thaw.blogspot.com/

Fiona Robyn

A Reliable Wife

2010-02-21T11:47:00.000-08:00

From the product description:
He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for "a reliable wife." She responded, saying that she was "a simple, honest woman." She was, of course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly and carefully, leaving her a wealthy widow, able to take care of the one she truly loved.

I chose this book because so many people suggested it to me, and I know that I started it expecting to love it. I should never do that. It's possible that my expectations were just too high. It was a good enough story, but I saw every "twist" well before it came and knew the ending when I still had about half of the book to go. The lust was overdone, and some of the scenes where nothing much happened went on for much too long. I was impressed with most of the characters, which is what kept me reading to the end. They stayed true to who they were which made the story more predictable, but that saved it for me. Confused? All I can say without spoilers is that I was glad that the characters didn't break away and become something inconceivable. I would rate it between a 2 1/2 and a 3 out of 5....hard to decide.

The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers

2010-02-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

Once I started reading this book it became impossible to walk away from until I completely devoured it. It reminds me of the emoitional pull that I felt when reading White Oleander by Janet Fitch or Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum (who I just found out is coming out with another book! Yay! But back to the topic...). The Murderer's Daughters is about Lulu and Merry, two young girls who witness the murder of their mother by their father. Merry is also attacked, but survives. The story follows them from their childhood in an orphanage and foster care to adulthood. Each girl responds very differently to their father, who is serving a life sentence in prison. I was impressed by how the author handled the ideas of forgiveness and resentment, and how different people need such different things sometimes in order to survive. I would highly recommend this book to my friends and fellow book lovers. This would also make a fantastic book club book. I'm looking forward to what this author will write in the future.

One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

2010-02-13T17:03:00.000-08:00

One Amazing Thing, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's latest novel, is about nine people who become trapped in a visa office when an earthquake hits. Each person is either planning a trip to India for reasons that we don't know much about, or they are employed in the office and have secrets of their own. While they are trapped and waiting for signs of rescue, each is asked to tell a story of one amazing thing they have experienced in life. I wish that the book had been longer because several of the stories seemed too brief and didn't offer as much about the individual characters as I had hoped. I was also somewhat disappointed in the way that the author chose to end the book, and people who like tidy endings will probably be frustrated. However, I still think that this is a book worth reading. I am a huge fan of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, with Sister of My Heart being my favorite so far. I would rate this one a 4/5.

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

2010-02-09T18:24:00.000-08:00

Wow, this was excellent. I wasn't sure that I was up for another story about civil rights since I recently read The Help, which I loved. I assumed that this book couldn't compare. You will know from the first chapter that something tragic has happened, and the story is put together bit by bit from several different points of view. It's a sad and disturbing book, but impossible to put down. Definitely a 5/5 for me.

Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

2010-02-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

I should say that I always seem to like reading this author. She raises good questions about how people would react in situations that you can relate to. This book focused on a pregnancy pact made between a group of high school friends. The mothers of the girls are also close friends and play key roles in their community. I did have a hard time finding the behavior of the daughters to be believable. The conversations just seemed to be repeating themselves throughout the book, and I found myself frustrated with the characters. It was a good enough read, but not my favorite of her's. I'd rate it a 3/5.

All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: An American Misfit in India by Rachel Manija Brown

2010-02-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

I purchased this book because I love to read about India, and I love memoirs that examine culture clashes, especially humorous ones. This book was all of that, but also gave a look into a very sad and unbelievable childhood. In that way it reminded me of The Glass Castle and Running With Scissors. Mani's parents packed up and moved to India when she was seven in order to devote themselves to the guru Meher Baba. She found so much humor in some of the most difficult and painful experiences. This is an excellent memoir that should not be missed.

The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam

2010-01-29T19:31:00.000-08:00

The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam is as impressive as books like A Fine Balance and A Thousand Splendid Suns. It takes place in contemporary Afghanistan and links together the stories of five very different characters. This is an intense and sad story of people being controlled by their circumstances. It's one of the best that I've read.

Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi

2010-01-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

I also read this over the weekend. It's a graphic novel memoir that looks at the marriages and physical relationships of a group of Iranian women. It is told as an afternoon of secrets and shocking (humorous) stories that the women share over tea. Marjane Satrapi is the author of The Complete Persepolis, which was one of my favorite books last year. This was light and entertaining, and it did not have the serious themes of The Complete Persepolis. I am very interested in reading more from this talented author.

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

2010-01-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

Today I completed Firefly Lane, which I read because a friend was raving about it. It's about a friendship that starts between two girls who are quite opposite in every way and continues through decades of ups and downs. I don't want to say too much about the storyline in case it would spoil it for someone else, but I enjoyed watching how these two characters endured the tests of their friendship. I think that this would be a very good book club selection. I'd rate this one a 4/5.

Not Me

2010-01-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

I have just finished this novel by Michael Lavigne which is about a father who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and his son who has come to Florida to care for him as he is dying. The father, a Holocaust survivor and popular Jewish philanthropist, gives his son a box of journals that reveal that he may have actually been a Nazi who stole the identity of a victim to survive. The son has the task of finding the truth while he deals with his own personal problems. The book goes back and forth between the son's story and the father's journals. I found the father's story to be the interesting part of the book that kept me reading. I never really felt invested in the son's personal problems with his ex-wife and son. I would say that it was good, but not great. 3.5/5

The Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman

2010-01-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

It's safe to say that I am an Alice Hoffman fan now. This is my third book by her, and I loved it. It's actually more a series of continuing short stories that interconnect as different inhabitants of a farmhouse in Cape Cod live there over a 200 year period. There are clear themes that are present throughout the different stories which gives it a creepy feel. I can't believe that it took me so long to pull this one off of the shelf. I really enjoyed it.

Yikes! What's a chicken like me doing with a book like this?

2010-01-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

I started this book tonight, and I may have to stick it into the freezer when it's time to go to sleep. So far it's quite good, however, I wonder what a scardy cat like me was thinking when I got it. Anyone else tried this one? I'm off to hide under the covers and read a little more.

ETA: Finished it. I predicted the outcome, but that didn't stop it from being a page turner for me. This one pushed my creepy-book-comfort-zone, but I had fun reading it. 4/5

Evening is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan

2010-01-06T17:03:00.000-08:00

This is a beautifully written book which centers on a tormented Indian family that is living in Malaysia. The order of events is flipped so that the reader knows the fates of a few characters before getting to know them. The story also weaves in and out of time and changes perspectives. I think that all of these things are done effectively, however, and the author's use of language is amazing. The problem that I had with this book is that I found most of the characters unlikeable and hopeless. It was a bleak and depressing story that I kept hoping would have a silver lining eventually. However, I still think it is worth reading. Just don't grab it for a fun vacation book.

My favorite in 2009

2009-12-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar was without a doubt my favorite book for the year. The story is about a grief stricken Michigan couple that relocate to India for a new beginning when the husband accepts a business assignment. Umrigar writes beautifully about cross-cultural relationships and provides an amazing twist to the end. Readers who loved The Space Between Us would really enjoy this book. I'm looking forward to what she'll write next.

Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

2009-12-14T17:09:00.000-08:00

This is one of the better books that I have read in a while, and definitely one that I would suggest to my friends. It follows the lives of two Indian girls being raised as sisters by very protective mothers in Calcutta. Family secrets begin to come out early in the story and continue coming out through the surprising ending. I really loved it, although I found myself frustrated with some unfinished business at the conclusion. For that reason I rated it a 4.5/5. This would be a very good book group choice because there is so much to talk about.

Secrets She Left Behind by Diane Chamberlain

2009-12-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

I finished this one, Secrets She Left Behind, tonight. It was a great follow-up to Before the Storm, and I actually liked it a bit more. There was enough backstory given to the reader that this book could stand alone, but I am glad that I read both. The unfinished business from the first book really came together in this one as another mystery was told. I'm becoming a very big fan of this author.
Prior to this book, I read Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb. As always, I love his books. This was an enjoyable holiday book though, not the heavy themes he usually deals with.

I'm looking through my list and see that I've only read a little over 70 books so far this year. Kind of a slow year for me I guess. My favorites for the year (unless something grabs me in the next few weeks) have been The Reader by Bernard Schlink, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, and The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Of course there were other wonderful books, but those stick in my mind tonight. These touched me in an individual way. I'm looking forward to what I find in 2010.

Just finished Before the Storm by Diane Chamberlain

2009-11-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

After reading The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes I remember picking this book up immediately hoping that it would be just as good. Then somehow it got lost in my constantly growing TBR pile. I was encouraged to get it out and read it after a friend raved about it's sequel. I'm so glad that I did. This was a quick read for me because the mystery moved at a great pace. It brought out interesting questions about the mistakes that we make and how it is possible to move on, even when those mistakes seem too big to do so. I really enjoyed this book, and now I'm ready to gobble up the sequel.

A Suitable Boy

2009-11-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting because I chose the world's largest book last week, and I am making no progress on it even though I do seem to be reading quite a lot. So I admit that I am intimidated by my book, but feel an absolute need to finish this one no matter what. I wonder if any of my friends have actually read this...? It's defintely interesting, but has about a few extra hundred characters that I haven't built the skills for keeping track of yet. It's gonna' be a long November. Currently on page 364 out of over 15,000...yikes.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2009-10-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

I finished The Help last night, and I loved it. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started it because I avoided the reviews and book description prior to reading it. I know there is a lot of talk about this book, and I did not want to set myself up for disappointment. The characters are beautifully developed, you're going to love them. It is so hard for me to believe that this is the way our country was such a short time ago though. However, don't avoid the book because it seems like it may be a downer. The story is both sad and funny with characters that the reader really cares about. I rate it a 5/5.

Currently reading two

2009-10-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

I am starting two new ones, A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif , and The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The Help is the selection for my new face-to-face bookclub. The book by Mohammed Hanif just caught my eye.

The Best of Times by Penny Vincenzi

2009-10-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

This was my first book by Penny Vincenzi. I believe that I downloaded it based on a blurb that I read in Bookmarks magazine. After I finished, I decided to look the author up and read some reviews of her other books. It seems like her fans found this book to be less impressive than her other work. For this reason, I think I will try her again. I liked this storyline and the characters that she created, but it definitely dragged for me. I think I would have liked it a lot more if she had cut about 300 pages (and I think she could have easily done so). It was good, not great...3/5 stars for me.

Just finished The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

2009-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

I just started reading The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. I was impressed with his other book, Between the Assassinations, so I've been looking forward to this one. It has me hooked already. The style reminds me of The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. I just know already that I'll feel torn about this character.

I finished this last night, and I was a little let down by the ending. I'm not sure why, but I just expected something more. I ended up feeling indifferent to Balram, the main character, when I was done. I loved the letter writing style of the book, however, and I really enjoyed it overall. I will definitely read more by this author. My rating: 4/5

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

2009-10-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

This was a beautiful sad story about innocence lost and a family falling apart. The writing style gives you both the beauty of the world around the characters and the suspense of the story. I can't say much without spoiling things for other readers, but I do give this one a 5/5.

Finished Day After Night by Anita Diamant

2009-09-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

I finished this book last night, and I would definitely suggest it to anyone who enjoys novels based on WWII or those that are rich in history. The story was told from the perspective of survivors who are now in a detention center for illegal immigrants, which I found to be a unique way to look at the time period. It was a gripping character story, as well as a good history lesson. The only thing that bothered me was the way that one of the women did not seem to behave consistently with her original characterization.
My Rating: 4.5/5

September books...what a slow month!

2009-09-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

I will have to blame the beginning of the school year for the amount of reading that I've done in September. However, they have all been good ones.

First Darling of the Morning by Thrity Umrigar (memoir)
The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman
The Hindi-Bindi Club by Monica Prahdan
102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
The Promised World by Lisa Tucker
Day After Night by Anita Diamant (almost done with this one)

Hunting for Used Book Stores

2009-09-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me also knows that I am crazed when the public libraries have their book sales. However, those seem so few and far between. This past weekend we had a chance to wander through several used bookstores in Wisconsin. I love the idea, but there wasn't much for someone in search of a book other than a thriller or a classic. I was hoping when I got home that I would be able to do a quick search and find some local used bookstores. No such luck, at least not close to me. So I guess until I hit the big time and have the money to open my own shop, online used bookstores are the way to go. Which ones are the best? If anyone knows, please drop me a comment.